Occupy Toronto: Monday October 17

A group of Torontonians, concerned about economic inequality and the perils of capitalism, has set up camp in St. James Park. We’ll be checking in with Occupy Toronto periodically, for as long as they’re there.

Self-professed Mother Nature (and also a clown—it was her with the red nose in the cardboard police car in earlier photos) charms two children with some storytelling.<br />
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<em>Photo by Christopher Drost/Torontoist.</em>

Monday dawned crisp and clear, and a smaller contingent of Occupiers has settled into St. James Park for the long haul.

This morning a small group—an offshoot of the main Occupy Toronto group called Occupy Bay St.—gathered outside of the Toronto Stock Exchange for a small protest as the opening bell sounded at 9:30 a.m. Most people walking by on their way to work did not pay much attention to them, though we did see one broker from the TSX stop for a few minutes to chat with the group. And then, a short march across King Street back to the park, with chants of “I got no patience now! So sick of complacence now!” along the way. Just a few dozen protesters at most took part, and despite much media build-up this morning, the event was a very subdued affair.

Meanwhile, morning at St James Park felt just like a camp of the non-political variety: people stretching as they came out of their tents, one man doing yoga in the gazebo, others chatting over breakfast and coffee. With three or four dozen tents, the park is active but not crowded.

At lunchtime, Occupiers marched up to Ryerson to join students for Social Justice Week. Police on bicycles are on the periphery of the crowd of approximately 300, and as of 1:20 p.m. they were about to make their way over to Yonge Street.